Rethinking the Unthinkable
by lizzybennettdarcy
Summary: It was Felicity's idea. All she needed from him was a lie or two. Easy, no big deal, walk in the park, right? Except that despite the fact that Oliver is an accomplished liar, he's having a hard time distinguishing between fact and fiction. And this is definitely not the time to be thinking about her lips. In Canon (mostly). *Major spoilers for Unthinkable* Slow-burn
1. Chapter 1

**So exactly _no one_ is surprised that I'm posting after Arrow _again_. And I do promise that I plan on finishing all of my other stories. Especially since Arrow is out for the summer (my heart breaks as I re-read that) and therefore there won't be new plotlines and Olicity goodness that will distract me. Full disclaimer - if you haven't seen 'Unthinkable' yet (why are you on FF instead of watching the finale?!) then you really need to watch it before reading this. If you _have _seen the finale, how nuts was that? **

**Enjoy!**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

It had been her idea.

All of the best and most dangerous plans involving her always were. But the city was on fire and Slade was anticipating his every move. Slade had trained Oliver, had forced him to become a strategist on the island.

So he had decided to listen to Felicity, to follow her lead. Because Slade Wilson didn't know Felicity Smoak and therefore he wasn't prepared for her.

Their lines hadn't been rehearsed; he hadn't been sure he'd be able to say those things more than once. And he wasn't sure that she could hear them twice.

Oliver Queen was a professional liar. 99% of his words and actions were lies; covers to protect the Arrow and his past. The plan was simple. Felicity had pointed out that it should be easy as pie, a walk in the park.

But then he'd been standing there and she was waiting for him to play his part. He'd specifically plotted their conversation so that it would be within range of the mic and camera. All he had to do was lie. Lie and leave her.

"Oliver," she gripped his arm and stared up at him. He needed to be convincing. "You're not making any sense." It was there, just the slightest downtick in her tone. He needed to say the words. She needed him to lie.

He stared down at her as a war raged beneath his ribcage. It was supposed to be easy. A few lies and then Slade's downfall.

"Slade took Laurel because he wants to kill the woman I love." The words came easily. The truth. He was stalling.

"I know. So?" She prodded.

"So he took the wrong woman." Oliver told her.

And he had, Jesus Christ, Slade _had _taken the wrong woman. What a thing to be realising as he set up Felicity to be captured. The gravity of the situation was crushing.

The band around his heart tightened as he watched her blue eyes widen in surprise. And in that moment he realised that he'd been too transparent. She wasn't acting anymore and neither was he. Her eyes flicked across his face, looking for a trace of the lie he was _supposed _to be telling. "Oh!" She breathed out in understanding.

He was an idiot. He was such a fool. He stared into the depths of her blue eyes and saw his future. A future that she was willing to risk to save the city, to save _him. _

He shook his head and the words fell out in a rush. "I love you." Those three words had always been the hardest for him to say. It had taken several years for Laurel to coax the words from him and even then he hadn't been sure he meant them.

He had just told Felicity Smoak that he loved her. It wasn't necessary. His previous statement would be enough for Slade. He regretted the words even as he said them because Felicity believed them. _Oliver_believed them. And regardless of the outcome tonight, the two of them couldn't be together.

She glanced down at his lips and his heart constricted further. They shouldn't be here, in this hollowed mansion full of ghosts. Those words should never have been uttered so carelessly for the sake of the villain of the hour. The meaning behind them was precious and deserved to be treated with respect. _She _deserved better than this.

He leaned closer, unable to keep a friendly distance. Mere inches spanned between them and he could feel her warm breath against his chin. Now was _not _the time to be wondering if her lips were as soft as he'd often imagined.

"Do you understand?" He asked her tenderly, passing her the syringe. He wasn't even sure what he was asking her. Did she remember the plan? Did she know that he'd come for her? Did she realise that they were only playing a part? Or did she know that he had never before meant those words the way that he did now? His eyes pleaded with her even as he wondered what his own words meant.

"Yes." She assured him in a way that only she could. Yes to everything.

He stared into her eyes for another moment, grounding himself, preparing to walk away from her. He drew in a deep breath and took with it a little bit of her light. He turned away from her and prayed that he'd see her again, that they'd make it through this alive.

His steps were sure, though his mind was not. He opened the door and paused for the slightest of moments when he heard her gasp a sob. His grip tightened on the doorknob and then he was gone.

* * *

No matter of planning could prepare him for the sight of the blade tucked snugly against her throat. If his previous confession hadn't drawn from him an awareness of his feelings for her, he was sure that the sight of her with Slade would have. The fear in her eyes was real. The sword against her delicate skin was real. The rage rolling off of Slade in waves was real.

Suddenly their plan didn't seem so brilliant. His bow was on the ground next to him and she was on her knees. What if Slade lashed out suddenly, the way he'd killed Moira? What if she was unable to cure him before he took her life?

Oliver was aware of Laurel struggling next to Slade and Felicity but he needed to focus. He tried to talk to Slade, to make him see the perversion of his vengeance. He fought to keep his eyes from Felicity as she gathered her courage.

Slade dragged her to her feet and Felicity struck before he could settle the blade against her throat again. He was moving against Slade before the echoes of her retreating footsteps faded.

The fight was hard-fought. Even without the Mirakuru, Slade had always been a physical threat.

And when it was over, when he had Slade defeated, he thought over his options. Slade goaded him to kill him. Lance's words, Sara's words and Nyssa's words echoed through his mind. He could end it right now. He could kill the man who'd murdered his mother in cold blood.

"_This isn't happening because you weren't willing to be a killer; it's happening because you_ were_ one."_

Oliver knocked Slade out. Slade, Lance, Sara and Nyssa were free to expect him to kill. He'd done so in the past and there was no changing that.

But Felicity believed in him. And he had no intention of breaking her trust.

It was time to be the hero she had always believed him to be.

* * *

"Well, you did it." She said, fixing a smile on her face before facing him.

"I had help." _I couldn't have done it without you. I can't do any of this without you. _He wondered if she heard the same subtext that he did as he said the words.

"Yeah, it was really smart." She replied, nodding slightly, nervously. "The way you outfoxed him."

He blinked heavily. He wasn't ready for this conversation.

"Talk about unthinkable." She grinned with forced amusement that didn't touch her eyes. He couldn't quite smile back. "You and me, I mean."

He did his best to ignore the way her words burned in his chest. They weren't unthinkable. He loved her. She loved him. She made him better. She was the light at the end of the tunnel.

But he wasn't _at _the end of the tunnel yet.

She raised a hand to scratch at her head wound and closed her eyes. "When you told me you loved me, you had _me_ fooled." She opened her eyes and dropped her hand. "For a second that," She took a deep breath and stared up at him bravely. "That maybe you might have meant it."

She was so beautiful. And in that moment he would give just about anything to tell her. But she'd just been used against him, and even if _this _time it had been her idea, it had happened before as well. It would happen again.

He watched as she realised he wasn't going to answer her silent questions, her pleas for honesty. Her eyes dimmed just a fraction. "What you said." She clarified.

His lips tilted around the edges, though the pain in his eyes matched hers. "You-you really sold it." She finished, giving him the out he needed.

He smiled as she continued to be everything he'd ever needed, everything he'd never thought to ask for.

"We both did." His smile disappeared as the words left his mouth. Fighting against the pain that came with his decision, he inhaled sharply. She had stood in front of him and given him the option, the choice to be with her, to be honest. And when he hadn't, she had given him the escape he needed. He swallowed thickly as he watched her process the denial.

His eyes never left hers. One of these days he would cease to be amazed by her kindness and selflessness. Not a trace of hurt crossed her features as she smiled up at him.

"Let's go home."

He nodded and slipped past her, allowing her to gather her thoughts.

He already was home. The island or Starling, the location mattered not. Felicity was his home. And someday when he reached the end of his fight, when he was ready, he'd finally cross that welcome mat.

* * *

**Any thoughts? I think this one is probably a one-shot. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So this chapter has been more or less done since the night I posted the first chapter. I have chapter 3 finished as well. I just wasn't sure where I was going to take it, so I was hesitant to post. There will be some OCs in this story (just as I'm sure new characters will be immediately introduced in the fall.)**

**This story took a rather unexpected turn but I'm really interested in exploring the aftermath of it all. I hope you enjoy.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Felicity leaned against the railing of the boat. Her blue eyes swept over the damage that had been inflicted upon Starling City mere weeks before. The police force had been decimated and nothing short of the National Guard had kept petty criminals from making a bad situation even worse. A.R.G.U.S had taken responsibility for locking up Slade's cured army on Oliver's request. Iron Heights prison was full enough and the guards there had a nasty habit of losing inmates and then covering it up.

Her gaze landed upon the dock that started it all.

She shook her head quickly. No need to think about that. They won.

She searched for Queen Consolidated in the distance and smiled when she found it. They would get it back. She knew they would.

"We'll be docking in a moment, Miss Smoak." Alex said quietly, alerting her to his presence.

Felicity rolled her eyes and glanced at the handsome A.R.G.U.S agent over her shoulder. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Felicity?"

His lips twitched. "At least once more, Miss Smoak."

Felicity laughed and turned back to face the shore. She didn't miss the smile that lit up his face as she laughed. He moved quietly to her side and stared out at the city.

"I don't know what I expected, it's been almost a month." The words tumbled past her lips unconsciously. "But when we left, the city was burning and so many people were dead. I guess maybe I was expecting the same. It was months after the Undertaking before the fires were all out."

He cleared his throat and she startled. "The destruction wasn't focused on the Glades this time. The damage was centralized within Starling City." He paused, as if considering his next words. "In my experience people care less about the slums than they do about the middle and upper class. Financial aid has been pouring in from across the country this time."

Felicity glanced over at Alex curiously. The two of them had spent the last three weeks together and she thought that his last statement might be more revelatory than any of their previous conversations. His brown eyes met hers and held as she waited him out. He sighed and turned to face the city once more.

"I was raised in the Glades." He cleared his throat. "My family still lives there."

Felicity tilted her head to the side and watched his jaw clench. "Who did you lose in the Undertaking?" She asked finally, knowing full well it was none of her business.

His knuckles paled as his grip on the railing tightened. "My sister."

She placed a hand on his arm and dropped her eyes to the ocean beneath them. "I'm sorry."

The two of them were silent as the boat docked. They moved from the railing to the lower deck and grabbed their bags. His hand found her arm as they stepped over the side of the boat and onto the dock. She turned to face him, dropping her hand to grasp his and waited until she caught his eye. The sunlight shone down on his black hair and tanned skin. He really was an attractive man.

"I'm sorry about your sister. We really tried." He nodded. "Thank you for keeping me alive the last few weeks. Trust me, I know it's never easy. I'm a trouble magnet. Just ask-"

"Felicity!"

Felicity spun on her heel to see Oliver Queen standing several feet away. His smile slipped from his face as he saw the man beside her with his hand still in hers.

"Oliver?" His name left her mouth in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes left the place where her hand held Alex's and met her confused gaze. "I knew your boat was coming in and I thought I'd pick you up. I-" He swallowed tightly. "I didn't realise you might already have a ride."

Her eyes narrowed at the annoyance that underlined his tone. Alex dropped her hand and stepped towards Oliver. Oliver watched the man's approach warily.

"Mr. Queen, I'm Agent Jensen. I wanted to thank you for your service to the city. You've saved many lives. Many people I care about." Alex greeted him respectfully.

Felicity moved forwards and watched as Oliver shook the man's hand. "Please, call me Oliver. Anyone who knows my secret might as well skip the formality."

Felicity snickered. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Oliver tilted his head in confusion but smiled when she handed him her duffel bag. Alex glanced down at her.

"See you later, Alex."

"Take care of yourself, Miss Smoak." He replied with another twitch of his lips. He turned on his heel and walked away from them and up towards the marina. She watched him go with a fond smile on her face.

"You ready?" Oliver asked her hesitantly.

Felicity took a deep breath and nodded. "It's good to be home."

* * *

Oliver dropped her duffel bag onto the couch as she wandered through her home. She'd half-expected her condo to be gone, burned to the ground or broken into. Apparently her part of town had fared well during the attack.

Oliver followed her into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow when she handed him an empty garbage bag. She opened the fridge and began dumping food into the bag that he held.

"I've been gone for a month, Oliver. And I don't have a maid to clean up after me, so just about everything in here is rank." She explained with a wrinkled nose.

Oliver chuckled and she ignored the way her chest tightened at the sound of it.

She hadn't seen him in almost a month. She had missed him more than she'd care to admit. Enough that she'd forcefully decided not to think about him. Not to think about _it_.

The air shifted suddenly and she wondered if he felt it too. She hurriedly threw the last container in the garbage bag and closed the fridge door.

"It's hot in here, huh? Let me just open a window, or ten. Could you maybe tie up that bag and place it by the door? I can throw it out later. Do you want something to drink? It is really hot in here? Right? It's not just me? I mean it wasn't this warm when I left and damn it, I'm rambling and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight and-" Her words cut off when his hand wrapped lightly around her shaking wrist.

She stared down at the floor and wished it would swallow her whole. Maybe she shouldn't have pretended he didn't exist for the last month. Maybe she should have used their time apart to actually work _through _what had happened. The 'declaration that must never be spoken of'.

Hadn't she _jumped _at the opportunity to take a few weeks away from him? Hadn't she thought it would be good for them to spend some time apart to get past it?

She hadn't only taken the job to get some much needed space. They needed the money, period. Team Arrow didn't pay for itself and Oliver certainly couldn't bankroll the operation anymore.

So she'd said yes before Waller had even finished explaining the mission.

_Felicity followed Oliver and John into the small flight hanger. Her eyes were sore and tired from little sleep and too many held-back tears. She wanted to go home and crawl into her bed and stay there for the next thousand years. Or however long it took her to forget the way her heart had jumped when he'd told her he loved her. She'd also like to forget the way she'd hopefully given him the chance to confirm that statement. _

_Felicity Smoak wasn't this girl and she just needed a few days. And then she needed to get a job and help put the city back together. Because crime didn't wait for broken hearts to mend. And Team Arrow needed both Oliver and Felicity to get past this speed bump. _

"_Follow me." Waller demanded coolly once they had reached her side. _

_Felicity watched as the woman climbed into a shady looking limousine. She sighed and climbed in next to Oliver. Maybe she was just getting used to being a Billionaire's EA but this limo was awfully small. Oliver sat between herself and John and there just wasn't enough _space. _His leg was pressed fully against hers and the warmth of his chest warmed her shoulder. _

"_Get a grip, Smoak." She muttered almost soundlessly, furious with herself. "Pull yourself together."_

"_What was that?" Oliver asked her quietly, leaning into her to whisper the question against her ear. _

_She shook her head and stared out the window beside her. _

_She felt him stiffen next to her but didn't feel up to talking to anyone at the moment. The car ride was silent and _long. _Amanda Waller watched them with cold calculation from her place across from them. The car finally pulled to a stop and Felicity wrenched open the door despite Oliver's protests. She moved from the vehicle and wrapped her arms around her waist. He followed after her with a glare and annoyed mutterings about her safety. _

_She glanced up at the two planes that filled the large hanger. _

"_Why are there two?" She asked out loud when Dig and Waller joined them. _

"_One of these planes will take you all back to the States." Waller told them tonelessly. _

"_And the other?" John prompted, his dislike and distrust for the woman evident in his tone. _

"_I have a mission that I need help with." She told them, moving to face the three of them._

"_Amanda, we have to get back to Starling and clean up Slade's mess, I can't-" Oliver barked._

"_I should have been clearer. I only need Miss Smoak's expertise for this particular mission." _

_Felicity gaped at the woman._

"_Absolutely not!" Oliver growled. A noise from Diggle indicated he was in agreement with Oliver._

"_What's the mission?" Felicity asked, ignoring her friends._

_Amanda smiled, and Felicity wondered if the woman could actually manage it without looking sinister._

"_For the record, A.R.G.U.S is kind of morally ambiguous in a way that makes even me, the Arrow's IT girl, uncomfortable. So if you want me to help you kill people or work with prisoners with bombs in their spines I'm not interested." Felicity informed her quickly._

"_It would require no killing and the Suicide Squad is in Starling, where they will remain." Waller replied evenly._

"_I'm in." _

"_Felicity!" Oliver snapped, his hand on her arm spinning her to face him. "You don't even know what the mission is! You could get hurt, and John and I won't be there to save you!"_

_She could hear the worry in his voice. The concern was evident in John's eyes as well. She took a deep breath and pulled her arm lightly out of Oliver's grasp. Hurt crossed Oliver's face before a mask of stoicism replaced it. _

"_Will you keep her safe?" John asked._

_Felicity glanced back at Waller. The woman nodded. "She will have an A.R.G.U.S agent with her at all times."_

"_Are you sure about this, Felicity?" John asked, stepping forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. _

_His words held more questions than she could even begin to answer. Especially in front of Oliver._

"_I want to do this." She promised._

"_Felicity." _

_She met Oliver's gaze and smiled up at him with as much conviction as she could manage. "I _need _to do this, Oliver."_

_His teeth snapped together and he nodded. She hugged John goodbye and waved at Oliver before following Waller onto their plane._

"Felicity." Her heart stuttered in her chest as his mouth caressed her name. Why did it always sound like that?

She placed a hand on his chest to stop him from continuing. "I'm tired, Oliver. The last month has been exhausting and I suppose the month before that was even worse. Can we just press pause for today? I need to sleep. I promise I'll be myself in the morning."

She shivered as his breath caressed her temple on a sigh. "I'm glad you're _home_." He told her carefully before dropping her wrist and leaving.

She didn't bother guessing at what he'd meant. There was always so much damn subtext to every word they said to each other.

And it was time for her to stop overanalyzing their relationship.

She left the kitchen and headed to her bedroom. She was halfway into her bed when she realised that he'd taken the garbage out with him. And that was just too domestic and thoughtful to comprehend at the moment.

She needed to get past this, but tonight she'd allow herself to cry.

* * *

**So just to clarify a few things (before the pitchforks appear). Alex is not (and most likely will not become) Felicity's boyfriend. You'll understand his purpose in the next chapters.**

**Also, she isn't a damsel. Just give her the night to cry. She'll be a superhero next chapter (because she's a badass. Period.)**

**Next chapter is in Oliver's POV. Their POVs will probably alternate each chapter. Though I might throw in a Roy or Diggle here and there.**

**The pacing on this story might be slow (who really knows?) because as most of you know, I have more than a few unfinished fics at the moment. **

**I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't have the fourth ready yet, but this was is written so it may as well be posted. This gives you a little more insight into Oliver's thoughts during and immediately following Felicity's mission with A.R.G.U.S. **

**Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. I'm in my third semester of University right now so I'm barely finding time to even write. I promise I'll msg everyone of you back after the semester is done.**

**Enjoy! I own nothing.**

* * *

Their new lair wasn't as ideal as their previous one but Verdant was no longer an option. Oliver, Diggle and Roy had moved all of the equipment immediately after their return from Lian Yu. To say that they had missed Roy's super-strength would be a massive understatement. Isabel might be dead but the company wasn't his anymore and therefore Verdant was no longer a safe place for their hideout.

The past month had been ripe with difficulty.

The immediate fallout from Slade's vengeance upon the city had been horrible. The police force had been stricken with injuries and a few fatalities. Thankfully the death toll had been low aside from the A.R.G.U.S' agents who had been stationed in the tunnel.

Thea's disappearance had been a blow he should have expected. He had known she was making her way out of town but the fact that she'd done so at Malcom Merlyn's side had been hard to accept. Amanda had found video evidence of Thea meeting up with Malcolm and Thea's letter to Roy left little doubt in Oliver's mind.

They had all betrayed her. And so she had left with a man more twisted than Slade himself. Oliver could only hope that Malcolm's love for Thea would keep her safe. He did his best not to think about what his sister might become under Malcolm's influence after the year she'd had.

Roy had struggled with Thea's decision to leave, especially after he'd learned what had happened during the time he'd lost.

"_I killed a man!" Roy bellowed, taking a swing at Oliver. "I almost killed Thea! Why didn't you just put me down?"_

_Oliver ducked and sidestepped the irate young man. "All of us have killed, Roy." _

_Roy shook his head in dejection. "I'm a murderer."_

_Oliver moved closer and dropped a hand on his shoulder. "You weren't yourself."_

_Roy blinked up at him tearfully and Oliver suddenly realised just how young he was. "You said I changed your life. You called me a hero. Do you still believe that?" Oliver asked him heatedly._

_Roy's eyebrows crinkled in surprise. "Of course I do."_

_Oliver squeezed his shoulder. "I've killed people, Roy. And I don't even have mirakuru to blame. If I can be a hero, can't you?"_

_Roy was silent as he thought over Oliver's words. "If the mask fits, Kid."_

Quentin Lance had suffered severe internal bleeding and had almost died. Thankfully he'd received medical attention at Glade's memorial, which had ironically become the best hospital in the city during the attack. He was making a slow recovery under Laurel's constant care.

Perhaps the only person who had thrived during the last month was John. After hours of worrying about Felicity on the plane home, he'd announced that he was going to be a father. Oliver's lips twitched upwards as he thought about how excited his friend was. John Diggle would make an excellent father.

Yet another reason that Oliver needed to get his life back together. His 'black driver' needed payment of some sort if he was going to raise a child.

So did his blond EA and IT specialist.

Oliver sighed and dropped to the mat.

He'd missed her. Those 27 days had felt like an eternity. An eternity without communication telling him how she was doing.

"_Oliver Queen." Amanda's annoyed tone filtered through the phone._

_Oliver glared at the wall. "How is she?"_

_A sharp peal of cruel laughter surprised him. "She's the same as she was three days ago. She'll be docking in Starling in four days. So if you could stop blowing up my phone like a worried boyfriend, I'd appreciate it. _Some _of us have jobs to do."_

"_Bitch." He muttered angrily after setting down his phone heavily. _

Felicity had been back for four days now and she'd kept her word. She was back to herself the morning after her return. There wasn't a trace of hurt or discomfort in his presence.

It had taken him exactly two minutes of standing in her kitchen to realise that she'd misunderstood his silence on the beach of Lian Yu. She'd given him the out so he'd assumed she realised he wasn't ready.

But she truly believed the two of them were unthinkable. Or at least she believed he could never love her.

Which was ridiculous.

When had he ever actually told her he didn't return her feelings? He'd once told her that he'd never lie to her, and he had kept that promise even when it hurt. He never promised to come back from a dangerous mission, because he couldn't guarantee it. He told her things that no one else would ever learn about him. And when he'd told her that he loved her, he'd meant it.

But she didn't know. And he couldn't tell her, not again. Not when he'd decided he wasn't ready, _they_ weren't ready.

He'd been so ready to see her again that he'd waited down at the pier for three hours before her boat came in. Waller hadn't specified when she'd be docking and he wasn't going to call her back. So he waited, standing out in the hot sun. Impatiently.

He'd fought a grin as her boat docked and he caught a glimpse of her golden curls. And then she'd climbed off the boat with her hand held by someone else.

And he'd realised suddenly that his _someday _was dependent on the fact that she'd give him one. He was hoping for a future with a woman who might fall in love with someone else while he waited.

He punched the sparring dummy furiously, barely stifling a roar of frustration.

John glanced up at him and his eyes darted over to Felicity before shaking his head and going back to his work.

"The computers are all set up!" Felicity announced happily and Oliver turned to face her. She was beaming with the kind of excitement that only new tech could bring her. Oliver felt a grin stretch his own features in response.

Felicity's work with A.R.G.U.S had paid well and apparently one of her conditions had been that Waller replace all of their tech with the newest models. Dig had explained how taken with their tech Felicity had been during their visit to A.R.G.U.S.

"Chow time!" Roy announced as he stomped down the steps. Felicity's grin brightened when she saw the bags of Big Belly Burger.

"My hero!" She announced slyly and Oliver smothered a chuckle.

It had taken Felicity mere moments to notice how down Roy still was about having killed the police officer. She'd given him a Felicity pep talk and had somehow managed to throw the 'H' word around in every conversation they'd had since.

Roy rolled his eyes self-deprecatingly but Oliver didn't miss the grin on his face as he turned away from them.

The four of them sat down at the work table and dug in. Oliver glanced around at his team and counted his blessings. A month ago he'd feared he'd lose all of them. But they'd made it through and here they were.

Felicity had insisted on team bonding upon her return.

_She dropped the sandwiches on the table and placed her hands on her hips. She frowned at the three of them. _

"_We work too hard. And yeah, I know we need to. But we don't, not really. When was the last time we all just hung out? When was the last time that we shared a meal together?" She paused and scratched her nose self-consciously. "I never had a family before, not really. But I always thought it was cool that my friend's families ate together. Telling each other about their days and stuff." She cleared her throat. "And we're a family, so we should do that."_

_Dig stood up and made his way over to the table. He hugged her tightly before dropping the seat beside her. Roy jumped to his feet and kissed her cheek, sitting on her other side. The three of them turned to look at Oliver. He moved slowly over to her and paused, feeling uncomfortable after the displays of affection he'd witnessed. His words had hurt her and confused both of them a month ago. He hesitantly reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. She smiled wetly up at him and he turned to take his place across from her._

The first meal together had been a bit awkward. They'd all struggled to talk about something other than their mission. The city needed to be rebuilt and their team would need to help.

But the second day it was easier.

And as they feasted on Big Belly Burger the conversation flowed easily.

"How's your new job, Roy?" Felicity asked before popping an onion ring into her mouth.

Roy mumbled around a mouthful of food and Felicity snorted in amusement. He glared at her and swallowed carefully. "It's good. The club is right around the corner so it's not weird to be in this part of town all the time."

Roy had the easiest time finding a new job. He'd been officially laid off when Verdant was closed and his skills were useful in the club scene. He'd found a gig as a bartender and bouncer at Jesper's, a club a block away from their new lair.

"How's private security treating you, John?" Oliver queried.

Dig laughed. "Well, I miss driving your rich ass around, if that's what you're wondering." They all laughed, despite Oliver's best efforts not to. "It's fine. I basically drive the Newport twins to and from school and sit in the car all day. Besides they're kind of cute."

Roy rolled his eyes. "You're going so mushy on us now that you're going to be a parent."

"Hey! They're like 6 years old with matching blond pigtails and they're way too polite to be so rich. Trust me, Harper, those kids would have you wrapped around their little finger within seconds."

Oliver's eyes raised to meet Felicity's as the two men teased each other. He winked at her and she laughed before looking away.

They were a family. And for now that would have to be enough. He had time to figure everything else out. He _did_.

* * *

**Any thoughts? Thanks for reading!**


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